a touch of COLOUR

There’s no shying away from the fact that the frames coming through for the new season are brighter and bolder. Thank goodness! For way too long conservative colours like black, brown and tortoiseshell have dominated the summer collections. In the current economically repressive climate we could all do with a splash of colour.

Those colours are many and varied. While New Zealand eyewear designer Karen Walker has gone with pastels to complement the clothing collections she’s showing on the runway, Australia’s Paul Taylor claims the new season’s colour is a delicious shade of green. Then there are frames in black decorated with a variety of coloured chips, bold primary colours and softer translucents that work with all skin types. As we’ve seen over the past few years, this variety of colours, complemented by an equal variety of shapes and sizes, ensures there’s something for every customer looking to jazz up their wardrobe for the new season.

Accentuated Vintage

Vintage is still in, but the frames arebigger now, which is perfect in terms of providing protection for the summer months. The wingtips of cats eye frames are more exaggerated, providing an ideal accessory to elongate a more rounded face. Round eye frames are larger too, and often with a stylised bridge or detail in the temple to set them apart from those that have gone before.

Material Combinations

The way designers are combining metals with leathers and acetates is innovative and exciting to see. Jono Hennessy’s Rancho Deluxe frames are case in point.

“I’ve had a whole Western thing going on in my head for some time, and I love the combination of leather and metal. I found a vintage Western belt buckle on an overseas trip, and we commissioned two jewellery makers to actually carve the pattern in reverse for Rancho Deluxe, so that we could stamp the frame shape out. I designed the pattern specifically for the shape of this frame – it’s not just stamped out of a sheet.

“We’ve started a new direction in sunglasses this year, getting away from the heavy acetates. We are probably a little bit early at this stage however, I am sure we will see more textured metal coming up at Silmo.”

Another icon of the Australian eyewear industry playing with acetates and metals is Paul Taylor. Having been off the scene for a few years, he’s re-emerged with an extraordinary collection of eyewear in brilliant acetates, along with his timeless collection of cats eyes, which looks as contemporary today as it did on its debut 18 years ago. While the collection Paul is showing to retailers right now is all acetate, in the background he’s working up a collection that will be made from titanium. It’s destined to be exceptional.

More subtle distinctions can be found among a shimmering array of crystals and the satin bakelite hints of the brand’s signature cross, which presents as more mysterious than liturgical…

Functionality and Fun

Meanwhile, international design houses like Christian Lacroix are breaking away from the fashion mainstream to release luxurious, opulent frames that feature contrasting precious metals intertwined with raw acetate. More subtle distinctions can be found among a shimmering array of crystals and the satin bakelite hints of the brand’s signature cross, which presents as more mysterious than liturgical. Elsewhere the cross is outlined by a gleaming gold thread or in rough-hewn hammered metals.

Lanvin is boldly accenting functional components of its frames to turn them into design features. Lanvin’s latest collection ‘Maison’ combines retro with contemporary, and couture details with industrial aesthetics. Screws, nails and studs are superbly matched with precious materials such as horn, leather, crystals and stones, while metal frames feature bronze or gunmetal antique nuances. Geometric shapes come to life with a palette of contrasting shades.

Summer Sports Wear

The latest sports eyewear to be released for this coming summer is also super stylish and very light. Both professional and amateur runners want to be faster and have to train hard, so having the best equipment, perfect vision and protection for the eyes is essential.

As an official sponsor of the 2012 Olympics in London, Adidas launched a new collection in June that is being worn by members of Great Britain’s team at the Games this month (August). Designed for top performance, the lightweight adizero tempo is distinguished by an aggressive appearance combined with impressive functional properties.

Those functional properties are appreciated by the world’s top runners including triple Olympic champion and two-time world champion Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown. “The weight of eyewear is a very important factor for me. In the past, competitions have always been pretty tough, but I have the feeling that they’re getting even harder. So every gram of equipment makes a difference. This applies to shoes, clothing and even eyewear. I used to run without eyewear sometimes, but thanks to this extremely light model, the weight isn’t an issue any more,” she said.

The ZeroRH+ collection is also impressively light and virtually unbreakable.Made from grilamid titanium with unbreakable See Safe Soft NXT Day-Nite photochromic lenses, this model is the answer for sports enthusiasts who literally throw themselves into their events and can’t afford to risk breakage.

Lenses are, of course, especially important when it comes to sunglasses – whether they’re worn in summer or winter – and especially for outdoor enthusiasts and sportspeople. This is where technology really plays a part. The photochromic lenses used for ZeroRH+ are rx-able in single vision or progressive, while Mako has introduced a new polarised nano-nylon lens technology with ultra- lightweight construction. Mako Eyewear is adding to its premium ranges with a new designs and technology made in Italy that uses glass polarised lens with two key features; a high definition filter to give amazing colour definition and clarity plus infrared protection for maximum comfort and glare protection in the harsh Australian sun.